I'd say thank god to a degree. When eastenders started buggering around with E20 rubbish that's when it started sliding down the pan. Thank god it's gone back to how it was.
Traditionally its always been flagged up that EastEnders has much more younger fans,but is this still true?
Its thought although I dont know if its true that under 25s are more likely to be the soap fans who are active on social media and to vote in various soap awards etc.If EastEnders is now appealing less than it used to to under 25s is it now going to struggle more at awards ceremonies than it used too?
i bloody hope so! as long as they keep bk in chester we will be ok!!!!!!!!
I don't think it's appeal is any less to the youngsters!
Someone on this forum posted recently,I cant recall who that EastEnders is now declining in popularity with the under 25s and that was a big part of why the show is starting to not win so many viewer voted awards and so I was wondering about the demographics for EastEnders viewers in 2014?
Thing is, as mentioned, EE have had younger cast taking lead stories, such as Sonia's Surprise Pregnancy for example, & that was good, but it seems recently than any soap (apart from Hollyoaks) who tries to give younger actors lead stories end up being criticised.
The reason I think as to why younger actors are criticised (& this was a good point in EE) is because the actors they employed were 'Picture Perfect' if you like, with six packs, & perfect teeth & tidy hair that was never out of place. When I asked a few older people what they thought about EE during this time, they said they refused to watch it because it wasn't EE, it was a parody of Hollyoaks & it had become some sort of fake foreign soap opera with picture perfect actors. They were right. Soaps were supposed to represent real life, not become American parodies with beautiful faces running the show.
EastEnders for a time became like the X-Factor, the reason the viewers were tuning in was to see scenes with Joey Branning Running or Tyler Moon with his top off. It wasn't about the stories, just the beautiful actors.
What worries me is how dumbed down TV is when it appeals to this "under 25" bracket. Like many posters have said, it wasn't so much that EE was focusing on a younger cast so much, it was the fact that it was focusing on this younger cast purely because of how pretty they were. There was no realism, nothing interesting. It desperately made you want to view Lauren Branning as some sort of protagonist who you could relate to and understand, yet constantly made her such a horrible person. That is why I dislike her character so much, though I will admit, under DTC she's been much more bearable simply BECAUSE they have realized a central character she is not.
I don't even think it was an "under 25" bracket that was the target - it was the "watch because the guys are fit" bracket, and it damn near destroyed the show. It was a pathetic and lazy grab at ratings, and an insult to what the show used to be, and still could be.
Give me DTC sensationalism and silliness every day. At least he's actually trying. Besides, there's plenty to like here for everyone. Danny Dyer was up for sexiest male, was he not? It goes on, without sodding Joey Branning.
What worries me is how dumbed down TV is when it appeals to this "under 25" bracket. Like many posters have said, it wasn't so much that EE was focusing on a younger cast so much, it was the fact that it was focusing on this younger cast purely because of how pretty they were. There was no realism, nothing interesting. It desperately made you want to view Lauren Branning as some sort of protagonist who you could relate to and understand, yet constantly made her such a horrible person. That is why I dislike her character so much, though I will admit, under DTC she's been much more bearable simply BECAUSE they have realized a central character she is not.
I don't even think it was an "under 25" bracket that was the target - it was the "watch because the guys are fit" bracket, and it damn near destroyed the show. It was a pathetic and lazy grab at ratings, and an insult to what the show used to be, and still could be.
Give me DTC sensationalism and silliness every day. At least he's actually trying. Besides, there's plenty to like here for everyone. Danny Dyer was up for sexiest male, was he not? It goes on, without sodding Joey Branning.
The thing is that if the stats show EastEnders is now starting to fall down in appealling to the under 25s then the strategy has back fired and most under 25s then it would seem value quality storytelling,quality characters and characterisation and quality acting.I think it was only ever a superficial minority who were being effectively pandered to despite tptb assumptions about how most under 25s think.What a crazy state to get into and on such a flimsy line of reasoning.
As for what EastEnders did with E20, I can't believe it lasted 3 series. What a load of utter rubbish!
EastEnders for me is a well written soap which appeals to so many demographics. Although I am not a great fan of the younger characters such as Dexter and Fatboy. They don't add anything to the program for me.
I work in a fairly young and "cool" industry. You're ridiculed if you watch the Oz soaps or Emmerdale. Corrie and EE are fine and HO is the "I watched it at Uni" show that people see now and again.
Corrie is OK as I'm in Manchester but people from outside the North West don't really see it as a young persons show.
Ultimately, EE is the only universally accepted soap amongst everyone I know which is 85% under 25. Not everyone likes it but they won't say anything to those who watch it.
I don't think it loses it's appeal, the trends on Twitter show that it still gets people talking
If it features too many older characters it gains older fans but loss younger ones.
It it features too many younger characters it gains younger fans but loses older ones.
This is why I feel the viewing figures are still fairly static
Bullsh*t!
It lost viewers over the last 2-3 years because the show was crud, no matter which characters were focussed on.
BIB - People don't tune into TV and only wish to watch people of their own age. "Old" people are capable of watching and enjoying younger characters and vice versa.
I work in a fairly young and "cool" industry. You're ridiculed if you watch the Oz soaps or Emmerdale. Corrie and EE are fine and HO is the "I watched it at Uni" show that people see now and again.
Corrie is OK as I'm in Manchester but people from outside the North West don't really see it as a young persons show.
Ultimately, EE is the only universally accepted soap amongst everyone I know which is 85% under 25. Not everyone likes it but they won't say anything to those who watch it.
I don't think it loses it's appeal, the trends on Twitter show that it still gets people talking
Im not sure that twitter trends tell us all that much?
To be honest, I think it's just a different era now. Under 25s don't spend their time gossiping about soaps, they'll be watching Made in Chelsea or TOWIE if they wanted something to 'relate to'. If they do watch EE, I don't think they care enough to rant on about it.
I started watching EE properly in the mid 90s and back then, it was pretty normal to talk about soaps (kids, teens, grown ups), hence why the slogan was "Everyone's talking about it". That's hardly surprising seeing as we had no digital tv, internet or mobile phones back then.
I actually think it went downhill from 2004. The lesbian kiss between Kelly and Zoe was pointless. Tariq's storyline was pointless as was all of Mickey's and also bringing Den Watts back to life only to kill him off again was ridiculous.
Nowadays, apart from Johnny and perhaps Whitney, I don't find any of the younger characters very interesting and I don't think under 25s truly relate to the younger cast of EE.
To be honest, I think it's just a different era now. Under 25s don't spend their time gossiping about soaps, they'll be watching Made in Chelsea or TOWIE if they wanted something to 'relate to'. If they do watch EE, I don't think they care enough to rant on about it.
I started watching EE properly in the mid 90s and back then, it was pretty normal to talk about soaps (kids, teens, grown ups), hence why the slogan was "Everyone's talking about it". That's hardly surprising seeing as we had no digital tv, internet or mobile phones back then.
I actually think it went downhill from 2004. The lesbian kiss between Kelly and Zoe was pointless. Tariq's storyline was pointless as was all of Mickey's and also bringing Den Watts back to life only to kill him off again was ridiculous.
Nowadays, apart from Johnny and perhaps Whitney, I don't find any of the younger characters very interesting and I don't think under 25s truly relate to the younger cast of EE.
You think soaps as a genre heyday has been and gone?
When I was really little (I'm 34 now), I really loved to watch all the older characters like Arthur, Pauline, and Dot. These were the characters that I would talk about around the dinner table when I was about eight or nine years of age!
I would be interested in hearing people's current thoughts on this given the current debate on how EastEnders is faring and how it's retaining viewers.
I would be interested in hearing people's current thoughts on this given the current debate on how EastEnders is faring and how it's retaining viewers.
I miss Cindy and Liam. I think DTC is focusing too much on older characters. I'm 47 and don't want the show to focus too much on middle aged characters like Phil Mitchell and his wife although I do like Kathy Sullivan and Cora Cross. ;-) I agree with you that younger people are more likely to vote in award shows. We'll see just how this will affect whether or not EE wins awards in the next award ceremonies.
I miss Cindy and Liam. I think DTC is focusing too much on older characters. I'm 47 and don't want the show to focus too much on middle aged characters like Phil Mitchell and his wife although I do like Kathy Sullivan and Cora Cross. ;-) I agree with you that younger people are more likely to vote in award shows. We'll see just how this will affect whether or not EE wins awards in the next award ceremonies.
I would also say there's a shortage of characters about 35-45 maybe even 30-45?
I'm under 25 and dislike many of the characters under 25.
I'm over 65 and love to see some youngsters in the show....there should be a mix. When the show started I loved Michelle, but I also loved Arthur, Lou, Den and Sue.
Ian. Sharon, Phil on their 3rd, 4th, 5th marriage doesn't do it for me.
We've lost our teen characters, and I think that's sad. (I don't count Abi, she behaves like a grumpy old woman).
I'm 22 and I love eastenders, have grown up with it though. None of my immediate friendship group watch it.
I think that's an increasingly common experience. When I was a teenager the majority of my peers watched the soaps or dropped in as a casual viewer for a nose but so much has changed since then -so much choice and so much more on offer to the young!
Comments
However it's still not something eastenders has ever managed
Ds forum members still have issues with younger cast taking leading stories though.
There has always been young cast in eastenders it didn't just happen from 2010 onwards
Its about whether they overdominate not whether or not they exist!
i bloody hope so! as long as they keep bk in chester we will be ok!!!!!!!!
Someone on this forum posted recently,I cant recall who that EastEnders is now declining in popularity with the under 25s and that was a big part of why the show is starting to not win so many viewer voted awards and so I was wondering about the demographics for EastEnders viewers in 2014?
The reason I think as to why younger actors are criticised (& this was a good point in EE) is because the actors they employed were 'Picture Perfect' if you like, with six packs, & perfect teeth & tidy hair that was never out of place. When I asked a few older people what they thought about EE during this time, they said they refused to watch it because it wasn't EE, it was a parody of Hollyoaks & it had become some sort of fake foreign soap opera with picture perfect actors. They were right. Soaps were supposed to represent real life, not become American parodies with beautiful faces running the show.
EastEnders for a time became like the X-Factor, the reason the viewers were tuning in was to see scenes with Joey Branning Running or Tyler Moon with his top off. It wasn't about the stories, just the beautiful actors.
I don't even think it was an "under 25" bracket that was the target - it was the "watch because the guys are fit" bracket, and it damn near destroyed the show. It was a pathetic and lazy grab at ratings, and an insult to what the show used to be, and still could be.
Give me DTC sensationalism and silliness every day. At least he's actually trying. Besides, there's plenty to like here for everyone. Danny Dyer was up for sexiest male, was he not? It goes on, without sodding Joey Branning.
The thing is that if the stats show EastEnders is now starting to fall down in appealling to the under 25s then the strategy has back fired and most under 25s then it would seem value quality storytelling,quality characters and characterisation and quality acting.I think it was only ever a superficial minority who were being effectively pandered to despite tptb assumptions about how most under 25s think.What a crazy state to get into and on such a flimsy line of reasoning.
People keep saying the ratings are going up?
As for what EastEnders did with E20, I can't believe it lasted 3 series. What a load of utter rubbish!
EastEnders for me is a well written soap which appeals to so many demographics. Although I am not a great fan of the younger characters such as Dexter and Fatboy. They don't add anything to the program for me.
Corrie is OK as I'm in Manchester but people from outside the North West don't really see it as a young persons show.
Ultimately, EE is the only universally accepted soap amongst everyone I know which is 85% under 25. Not everyone likes it but they won't say anything to those who watch it.
I don't think it loses it's appeal, the trends on Twitter show that it still gets people talking
Bullsh*t!
It lost viewers over the last 2-3 years because the show was crud, no matter which characters were focussed on.
BIB - People don't tune into TV and only wish to watch people of their own age. "Old" people are capable of watching and enjoying younger characters and vice versa.
Im not sure that twitter trends tell us all that much?
I started watching EE properly in the mid 90s and back then, it was pretty normal to talk about soaps (kids, teens, grown ups), hence why the slogan was "Everyone's talking about it". That's hardly surprising seeing as we had no digital tv, internet or mobile phones back then.
I actually think it went downhill from 2004. The lesbian kiss between Kelly and Zoe was pointless. Tariq's storyline was pointless as was all of Mickey's and also bringing Den Watts back to life only to kill him off again was ridiculous.
Nowadays, apart from Johnny and perhaps Whitney, I don't find any of the younger characters very interesting and I don't think under 25s truly relate to the younger cast of EE.
You think soaps as a genre heyday has been and gone?
I agree.
I miss Cindy and Liam. I think DTC is focusing too much on older characters. I'm 47 and don't want the show to focus too much on middle aged characters like Phil Mitchell and his wife although I do like Kathy Sullivan and Cora Cross. ;-) I agree with you that younger people are more likely to vote in award shows. We'll see just how this will affect whether or not EE wins awards in the next award ceremonies.
I would also say there's a shortage of characters about 35-45 maybe even 30-45?
I'm over 65 and love to see some youngsters in the show....there should be a mix. When the show started I loved Michelle, but I also loved Arthur, Lou, Den and Sue.
Ian. Sharon, Phil on their 3rd, 4th, 5th marriage doesn't do it for me.
We've lost our teen characters, and I think that's sad. (I don't count Abi, she behaves like a grumpy old woman).